Rock my world!!

This week has been kinda crazy, and busy and super fun. Transfers have come, I was only able to train Sister Wilson for 7 weeks, because now I am going up to Green Bay, to be an STL with Sister Hansen. I am SOOO excited. I have heard that Green Bay is awesome and I know that Sister Hansen is awesome. A Sister named Sister Wright will be finishing Sister Wilson's training, I have never met her, but I'm sure that she is great! On Wednesday we had an awesome missionary broadcast, and we found out about the new changes in the missionary schedule and in our key indicator reporting, which was a complete shock to me. But I think that it will be good, the schedule is a little bit more fluid now, so that you can more easily adjust it to the needs of your area. And I think that it leaves more decision making up to the missionary, so it will prepare missionaries better for when they return home. Thursday night we drove up to Fond Du Lac to stay with the sisters for 3-6 week training on Friday morning in Oshkosh. It was really great to go to 3-6 weeks for the third time, it was a lot different this time, and we definitely learned a lot or needed things. I can't believe that it is already a new week, the time is going by so fast. It is really weird to leave Waukesha because I have only been here for 3 months, so I haven't gotten to know the people as well as I did in my past two areas. It is really awesome though when you leave an area you can then see why the Lord put you there and who he put you there for. 

At church yesterday the Bishop talked about the ward goals, and about the 4 missions of the church, and he talked about how each family needs to be making goals for how they can strengthen their faith, do temple and family history work, and how they can invite others to learn about the gospel. I just thought that it was a really cool idea, we should each have a little family plan to accomplish the Lord's work, and it doesn't have to be a long thing, but just 3-5 simple goals, that will stretch you, but that are also attainable, and time bound. So I just invite each of you to set some goals for your family or for yourself to help the Lord in his work. And I know that when we all work together in this work that we can all find joy in it together. As my Mom always says, many hands make light work. I hope that everyone has a happy and safe week.

Love,

Sister Koyle

P.S. A funny quote from a guy in gospel principles when we were talking about the kingdoms or glory: "Why are they called mansions? does that mean that if you are wicked that you go to the ghetto?"

 Bowling with the district for p-day

Elder Lee!

I am the middle one, I was soo close to beating Elder Godfrey 

 ​Lunch after the broadcast: Sister Roskelley, Sister Hess, Sister Naughton, Elder Van Orden, Elder Desantes, Elder Godfrey, Elder Lee, Sister Wilson, and me

It was Elder DeSantes' birthday, so the Elders got him a cake, and we ate it :)

New Schedule!!

The World Wide Missionary Broadcast happened this week and they switched up the missionary daily schedule, soo weird! especially when the other one was ingrained in your head for 15 months, it is pretty hard to change, but all good things! Also we now only have 4 key indicators that we report each week, instead of 9, so that is super weird too.

Feast Upon His Love

So about a week ago, we had some freezing rain, which if you don't know what that is, then consider yourself lucky. It basically puts a thin clear layer of ice on everything, especially the roads and side walks. So we were visiting a lady who lives on a hill, and when we parked the car just slip backwards, until it hit the curb (thank goodness my drivers ed teacher taught me how to park on a hill). Then I got out of the car and just started slipping down the hill, and there is no possible way to get any traction, so I held onto the car door handles and had to pull myself up around the car, so that was pretty fun. On Saturday it was like 57 degrees here, it has been sooo warm here, I have no idea why. We haven't had any snow for quite sometime now, everything is just green, it feels like spring time. 

Anyways, I can't remember what I tell you all each week, but we received a solid referral from a member and we went to teach her this week and it went super well!!! I am so excited for her, she has been totally prepared for the gospel. We had a member come with us and the member was like hey next week you should come to my house for dinner and a lesson, and she was like okay. This is why members are the best!!! they make such a HUGE difference in missionary work, because they can offer things that we can't, like a friend, and life experiences, and their spirit filled home and a wonderful home cooked meal. 

We are doing well, not much else to say, we have a few investigators now, so that is a blessing. I am wondering if I will get transferred or not, I will find out in a week from today. I hope that everyone is doing well, and I hope you all stay safe with the weather being crazy. A scripture that really stood out to me this week was Jacob 3:1-2 " But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever." The thought of feasting upon his love gave me something to ponder about this week, maybe you all can ponder on it as well. How do we feast upon His love?

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I hope that you all keep reading your scriptures daily, it is so important, and I hope that we can all pray with exceeding faith, just like the scriptures say. Make it a great week! 

Love,

Sister Koyle

Sooo . . . this is Sister Cutler!!! My old mission president's wife. I got to see her at church on Sunday because her son and daughter in law are in the Waukesha ward and they just had a baby, so she came to see the baby . . . . and me of course. It was so great to be able to see her, and to give her a hug, it felt like home, I can't even explain it.  

Sister Wilson's first time eating Pho, She said that it was pretty good.

They forsook all, and followed him

Time is flying by, I can't believe another week is gone. Things here are starting to pick up so that is good. We haven't had anyone to teach for basically two months now, but now we have a few investigators which is great. All in all we are doing well, my companion and I are very different, but we actually get along pretty well. It has been really nice and warm the past couple of days which has been super nice. But we have had some freezing rain, which makes everything super slippery and scary to drive in, but we are doing good. One of the Elders recent converts passed away unexpectedly a couple of days ago, so that was really crazy, and kinda sad, and apparently our neighbor is on the run from the cops, so that is kind of exciting. Exchanges were really good. We knocked on this guys house and he was so cool, he was like so happy to listen to our message, and then he told us that he used to talk to the Elders in Appleton, but then he had to move back down to Milwaukee, and he lost his Book of Mormon, so we gave him another one and he was like "I'm fina read this" So that was really cool, he totally wants to meet with missionaries again. We also met a cool lady named Linda, we are excited about her. It is pretty easy to get discouraged as a missionary, but you just have to stay positive. There are so many negative things that happen, but you must focus on the good, and forget the bad. I have been reading the new testament, I have a goal to finish it before April 27th, and I was reading Luke 5 about when Christ tells them to let their nets down and Peter says "Master, we have toiled all the night, and taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes" and they had to call their friends over to help them catch all of the fish. I loved this because I feel like this is my life, we have toiled and caught nothing! But I know that as we are obedient to our Heavenly Father and the Spirit that we will be blessed for our efforts. I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Love,

Sister Koyle
P.S. We were tracting during the (Green Bay football playoff) game last night and someone told us that it was like 21-3 packers. So I figured they might win. Also tracting during the game = no success. We had some drunks yell at us though.

Well we went on exchanges this week, I went with Sister Hess to Milwaukee and Sister Wilson and Sister Naughton were in Waukesha.

There is a talk called "A Summer with Great Aunt Rose" and it talks about how forever consists of nows, I really liked that, what we do now matters in eternity.

Here are some cool looking churches or buildings or something that we saw in Milwaukee. :)

Pewaukee Lake

The ice fisherman

Yes that is a truck behind me driving on the lake.

We actually had a lesson with someone this week!

So this week was interesting, it was super cold, but it was really good. We were thankfully able to meet with this mother and her daughter, they have learned a lot about the church already. I was so happy when we were able to have a lesson with them, Sister Wilson invited them to baptism and the ending result or answer was "probably" so we will keep working with them. We have been challenged to invite one person to baptism per day and it is pretty fun actually, to be able to find that one person each day, and to hear their different answers. Most of them say that if they knew that it was true that they would be baptized. But a lot of them say that they have already been baptized, that's when we get to teach and testify of the priesthood. We had a super good zone conference on Tuesday. President talked about repentance and all of the different steps and it was wonderful, I really enjoyed it. He also talked about Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27 26 "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;" The Lord isn't going to tell us every little thing that we should or should not do, but we just need to be sure that we are always doing things for a good cause, and that we are being righteous, and not wasting away this time that we have here on this earth. I know January is usually a hard month for people. The Holidays are over and it is bitter cold, and everyone is broke, but we can still feel the love of our Savior as we repent daily and as we serve others and turn outward just like Christ always did. I hope that you all have a wonderful week and that you can look at the positive and bright side of things.

Love,

Sister Koyle

The sunset on Pewaukee lake

Hahaha this is my favorite picture, we were laughing so hard last night. We had dinner with the Hansen's yesterday and they were so kind to let Sister Wilson have this coat. It is a down coat and it is good up to -40 degrees. 

Sister Wilson: I'm just a blueberry

Me: No you aren't, you are a daughter of God.

We had a lot of fun slidding around on this side walk, the entire thing was just ice. 

Happy 2017!!

Well I hope that everyone had a safe and happy new year's eve and new years day. New years eve we played exploding kittens (a card game) at a members house and that was the extent of our partying. When we told their 9 year old daughter that we don't stay up till midnight on New Years Eve she was devastated, she hardly even believed us. We tracted most of the week, I actually love tracting most of the time. We met this awesome JW lady. Usually when we come in contact with Jehovah's Witness' we kind of both just have a mutual understanding with one another that we don't really want to talk to each other, and that is that. But this lady was very different, she was asking us all of these questions and it was awesome, it was fun to be able to answer them all. We talked to her on her doorstep for a long time, and Sister Wilson bore some hard core testimony, and we almost got the lady to take a Book of Mormon. Also at church yesterday a recent convert brought one of her friends to church and she asked us for a Book of Mormon, #AlwaysPacking so that was pretty cool too, hopefully something good happens with her. I am excited for the new year, 2017 is going to be a great year. It is really weird to think that I will only be a missionary for 4 of the months in this year. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been Restored and I am so grateful for it.

Love,

Sister Koyle

Another district picture. Sister Gross is going home in 2 days. Sister Wilson always wears all of her winter gear because apparently she is always cold. 

Ice fishing season is in full swing. 

Turtle crossing! . . . probably not this time of year

Christmas

I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  Again I just want to thank everyone that sent me things, my companion and I were very blessed this year! There are wonderful people here in Waukesha that have been so kind to us. We have felt very loved. I hope that everyone has an amazing week. I love you all!

Sister Koyle

Bathroom Selfie!!  

We went on exchanges!! 

and made Snow cones!

Many are cold but few are frozen

Well my new daughter's name is Sister Wilson, she is from Calimesa, California, and she is great. She is pretty quiet, but she is a great missionary and we are getting along great so far. I am basically out of time for today, but I just want to thank everyone who has sent me anything for Christmas, or been a part of sending me something. It really means a lot and I really appreciate it. It has been super cold this week. Yesterday it was like -8 and apparently on Wednesday it was -27 with the wind chill and we have had a ton of snow, so it's wonderful. I LOVE the snow, it brings me to much joy. I am excited for Christmas. I hope we can all focus on our Savior at this time of year and how we can become more like Him, and use more fully His atonement. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.

Love,

Sister Koyle

 Waukesha Missionaries in our Christmas sweaters

lots of snow 

-9 . . . cold 

​Sister Wilson and I, no wonder nobody answers their door we look like bandits.

​Here is a picture of the Christmas tree that ya'll sent me!! Thanks! I haven't had time to put up the new ornaments yet.